Ernie Harwell, R.I.P.

The voice of the Detroit Tigers has fallen silent. My short obituary is here. Previous reflections on the Tigers are here and here and here.

Bubba Zanetti

Miller: Get it right. In your Corner post re: Ernie Harwell you only quoted half of his famous K’d looking call:

“He stood there like a house by the side of the road and watched it go by.”

If you don’t include “the watched it go by” part, the quote makes no sense, because Harwell’s implied analogy to the pitch passing the hitter for strike 3 is to a car quickly passing a lone house.

Gary

Thank you for the articles on Ernie Harwell. Ray Lane and Ernie Harwell broadcasting the amazing exploits of Gates Brown, Mickey Stanley, Al Kaline, McClain, Lolich, Northrup, Freehan, Norm Cash, Wille Horton, and all my other heroes is a permanent part of my childhood memories. I remember being disappointed on my first trip to Tiger Stadium that Lane and Harwell were not carried over the load speakers!

The clip above is representative. He was a great man, and he will be remembered. Growing up a sports fan in Michigan without a television at just the right time to catch his golden years was a privelige.